This application relates to a traffic control apparatus and, more particularly, to a collapsible road barricade for restricting or channeling the flow of vehicular traffic.
In general, road barricades are utilized for temporarily directing and protecting traffic, both vehicular and pedestrian. These temporary traffic control apparatus are commonly used at road construction and repair sites to close off unused traffic lanes, to obstruct ends of lanes, to delineate parade routes, to guard excavation and building sites, to control crowds in all types of major events, to designate rough or damaged roadway and sidewalks and to generally warn against hazards of all types. One of the most common, a Type I barricade, employs a sawhorse type construction, having a reflective panel mounted between a pair of leg supports, each leg support comprising two angularly disposed legs. The form generally approved and preferred by government regulatory agencies are those road barricades having fixed vertical reflective panels and non-rigid structures, i.e., a collapsible barricade. In addition, it is desirable that a road barricade be easily placed in an operative position from an inoperative state, as well as requiring a minimum amount of space and storage.
Therefore, an object of the subject invention is an improved road barricade capable of stability when placed on the road while being easily assembled and disassembled.
A further object of the subject invention is an improved road barricade which retains the reflective panel in a vertical position at all times when in an operative position.
A still further object of the subject invention is an improved road barricade which, when overturned by high winds, collision or the like, will immediately collapse and lay flat on the ground surface without protruding legs or the like.
Another object of the subject invention is an improved road barricade which, when not in use may be stored with the minimum of space requirements.
These and other objects are attained in accordance with the present invention wherein there is provided a road barricade having a reflective panel supported in a vertical position on a pair of spaced leg supports. Each leg support includes two individual legs secured together at a top portion in a pivotal manner by parallel cross braces separated by the leg. One bolt running through each leg attaches the legs to the brackets in a spaced relationship to each other for each pivotal movement of each leg relative to the other. Two slots are cut in each end portion of the reflective panel opening in a downward direction and spaced slightly less than the width of a leg. Assembly of the improved traffic barricade of the subject invention involves inserting the brackets fully into the slots of the reflective panel and spreading the lower ends of the leg apart as far as possible, allowing the upper ends of the legs to contact and be biased against the reflective panel.